The food industry has invested in a significant research and development effort to identify food ingredient products that can exhibit a sensory perception of fattiness in foods without the high calorie content of common oil and fat ingredients. For example, certain protein and carbohydrate compositions are proposed as fat replacements in U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,946 and references identified therein. Carbohydrates and proteins have less than one-half of the calories of available metabolic energy than carbohydrates on a per gram basis. Two significant proteins, namely whey protein and egg white protein, in the form of microspheres of about 1-10 microns have been made by at least two companies for use as fat mimics. The above referenced U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,946 suggests that small substantially spherical carbohydrate-based particles, including small whole starch granules in the 0.1-3 micron diameter size range, are acceptable fat mimics.
This invention relates to a granular starch-derived microcrystalline starch composition for use as a fat mimic. The microcrystalline starch composition is prepared by disintegration of partially hydrolyzed (microporous) starch granules by use of mild acid hydrolysis or by mechanical action, such as that of a ball mill or a roll mill. The resulting microparticulate starch product comprises irregularly shaped starch particles which, when used as a substitute for at least a portion of the fat content of processed foods, imparts the sensory perception of fattiness with less calorie content and without compromise of other organoleptic qualities of the modified food product. The microcrystalline particulate starch composition in accordance with this invention is optionally treated with a surface modifying agent to complement the functional qualities of the starch composition.